Abstract [en]

Corporate engagement in CSR related issues are of a growing concern for customers and stakeholders. The demand on companies to take responsibility for their actions as well as the importance they attach to issues of sustainability has dramatically increased in recent years, and ignoring these matters might lead to drastic consequences. A question that arises in this context is whether a company can use this to their advantage to obtain an increased competitive advantage. The following report addresses this very issue; how companies look at CSR as a competitive instrument as well as how prioritization and decision making of such matters are enforced. The report also brings up a comparison of how developing countries relates to CSR compared to the Nordic countries, as well as the factors of CSR that can be considered to increase the value of an organization. A case study has been performed to reconnect the theory with how companies actually work with these matters. The study culminates in an analysis and a conclusion where it is shown that the potential of a well-established CSR-engagement can lead to increased competitiveness, provided that there is a demand. It is also, however, demonstrated that there are some difficulties in effectively implementing CSR due to the lack of performance measurement tools since it is difficult to predict the financial benefits.